Retail shifts east as Woodland planners OKs growth for Gateway

Woodland's Planning Commission has signed off on expanding a use permit for Gateway Shopping Center, creating a retail powerhouse near Interstate-5 and perhaps acknowledging that the old County Fair Fashion Mall has seen its day.

A previously approved permit allowed for no more than 20 percent of the center's 525,000 square feet of retail space be allocated to tenants of less than 4,000 square feet in size, not including food service, bank or professional service offices (such as a dentist, chiropractor or insurance), according to a staff report.

Under the revision, however, food service, banks or some professional service offices as well as nail salons and dry cleaners will be allowed.

Gateway's master conditional use permit was amended in 2009 to allow for a dentist office, and this is somewhat an extension of that.

Woodland city staff told commissioners Thursday the intent is to allow for limited expansion to the listed permitted uses already allowed in small tenant spaces.

The vote culminated after about two hours of discussion, including protests from City Council candidate and community blogger Bobby Harris, who asked that the Commission deny the application and instead require an Environmental Impact Report.

During the meeting, Harris could be heard audibly chuckling at times when others spoke, including the Gateway applicant, developer Paul Petrovich. Once the public hearing closed, Harris went to the podium to speak again after Petrovich, but was told he couldn't.

He then became somewhat unruly and yelled "I didn't get to respond to any of his bullsh-t ... So Petrovich gets the last word. Is that how it is?"

Harris continued to bait Petrovich, who was seated next to him at the media table in the council chambers, to the point that Petrovich got up and moved to a seat on the other side of the room.

In a letter Harris submitted to the Commission, he asked to be entered into record, he was more cogent.

"Opening up the zoning categories of service businesses, professional offices and the wholesale scope of neighborhood commercial uses is not necessary for the success of Gateway Center," Harris wrote. "Its existing commercial abilities offer retail attraction which will promote its eventual build-out -- without further accelerating Woodland's already significant urban decay.

"As well, I believe that the relevant EIR (2006) is out-of-date/obsolete for these planning purposes, not accurately reflecting subsequent consequences of this project upon environmental conditions, which are profound, obviously apparent by numerous relocations of businesses from County Fair Mall to Gateway Center."

County Fair Fashion Mall's managing member Raymond Arjmand -- who was not present at Thursday's meeting -- also wrote a letter of protest to both the Woodland Council and Commissioenrs, stating "approval of the expansion of Gateway I commercial uses will push our County Fair Mall further (into urban decay), blight and slums, and possibly bankruptcy."

Target and Matthew's Mattress have already left the mall for Gateway, he said, and GNC opened a second location there.

In his letter, Arjmand states that Cinemark 5, Payless Shoes and Radio Shack are "awaiting city approval" to move to Gateway.

According to Principal Planner Cindy Norris, the businesses don't need city approval as those uses are already permitted at Gateway.

Moreover, the city has not received a business license request for Payless or Radio Shack, Norris said. As for Cinemark 5, there is no application for a theater at Gateway.

Additionally, Gateway's agreement with the city stipulates that a theater can't be built there until one is built downtown.

Malcolm Leiser, managing partner at Gibson Center, the Bel Air Plaza, also submitted a letter of protest.

"We respectfully urge the Planning Commission deny the requested revision permitting the increased number of smaller retail spaces at the Gateway Center," the letter reads. "This revision would further blur the original distinction and purposes between the Highway Commercial and Neighborhood Commercial zones."

Downtown business owner Al Eby of Blue Wing Gallery spoke in support of the expanded uses, saying development will bring about more jobs and economic development.

"I could be opposing this project easily because they brought in a competitor that does framing like we do," Eby wrote. "...I believe the city needs to focus and really do whatever is necessary to attract and retain business that help create a draw to this community. The only way a business survives in most any community is having customers. When you bring development and the jobs that come with it, we do just that."